“Contending for the Faith”
(Phil. 1:27-30)
Dr. Richard S. Koole
Chapel Pointe
July 6, 2008
I. Introduction
A. July 4th weekend
1. My love for this country
a. Grandchild of immigrants
*Ellis Island in the 1890’s
b. I was born a citizen
2. Others had to apply for citizenship
a. Taking “the pledge” to conduct themselves in a worthy manner
3. Whether by birth or pledge, we should all behave in a worthy manner
B. But I have “joint citizenship”
1. I’m a citizen of the United States…but also a citizen of Heaven
2. What does that mean?
a. …and how should we conduct ourselves as citizens of God's Kingdom?
4. Key verse (Philippians 1:27)
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”
II. Text…Phil. 1:27-30
A. How to behave in a “worthy manner”
1. Be willing to “contend for the faith” (v. 27)
(27) “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel”
1. When Americans are called to war
a. Peace is a dream but seldom a reality
1. 9-11 shattered our security
2. As did Pearl Harbor 60 years earlier
b. Every citizen was called to “contend for our freedom”
d. Some on the front line
1. Others on the supply lines
2. My dad…..a Troop Transport
e. Team work
2. Likewise, Christians are called to contend for the faith
a. We have a terrible enemy
1. Will meet him in a minute
b. We have a worthy cause
1. For the faith of the Gospel
2. For the cause of Christ
3. Unity is the key to victory
(27) stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel”
a. Divide and conquer
b. The power of “teamwork”
5. We will be called to fight
a. Lightning rods for Christ
2. Don’t be frightened by your enemy (v.28)
(28) …without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.
a. Respect your enemy’s power….but not in fear
b. Opposition is expected
1. Two warring armies
c. Opposition affirms your salvation…citizenship
1. Proof that they will be destroyed
a. NKJV “Perdition”
b. Bound for Hell
2. And that you will be saved
d. “When believers willingly suffer without being “frightened,” it is a sign that God’s enemies will be destroyed and eternally lost.” (MacArthur)
3. Be willing to endure suffering for your faith (v.29-30)
(29) “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for him, (30) since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”
1. Satan hates Christ with an incredible passion
a. But he can’t touch Him
b. So he goes after His Children
1. You and me!
2. The conflict is fought out in our lives
3. Paul reminds us that suffering is in God’s plan for our lives
a. If you are a true citizen of His kingdom?
1. You’ll be called to war…and you will suffer
b. Not because of who you are—but because of Christ
4. Use all the power God has made available to you
1. We have a cunning and powerful adversary
a. He’s after you because you belong to Jesus
b. Jesus is the reason we suffer
c. …and Jesus is the source of strength to overcome suffering
2. What Jesus has made available to you…
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)
3. Don’t want to go into battle in shorts and flip flops
4. Nothing more intimidating than a fully armed warrior
5. God provides you with armor which cannot be penetrated
a. The Belt of truth
b. Breastplate of Righteousness
c. Boots of the gospel of peace
d. The Shield of Faith
e. Helmet of Salvation
f. The Sword of the Lord
6. Yet many Christians fail to wear it
a. Like seatbelts
b. Wear them and live
1. People fail to!
7. Why the armor is so necessary
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)
8. You have a powerful and evil enemy
“Behind every evil person and every evil act lurks the real enemy of your life. He exists in the spirit realm, and he is relentless in his pursuit of you. He is 100 percent evil, and he has a plan to destroy your life.”
9. Understanding Satan
a. He is real
b. He is organized
c. He is a liar
d. He is not alone
1. The fallen angels
2. John R. W. Stott regarding demons
“bear in mind that they have no moral principles, no code of honor, no higher feelings. They recognize no Geneva Convention to restrict or partially civilize the weapons of their warfare. They are utterly unscrupulous, and ruthless in the pursuit of their malicious designs.”
e. And they are intent on ruining your life
1. I Peter 5:8
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
5. Recognize and resist Satan’s nasty plan to ruin your life….v.11
1. “the devil’s schemes”
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)
*The “wiles” of the devil
2. “metho deia”
a. To follow after a thing systematically; to learn it, to follow it, to
write it down, to analyze it
b. “methodical”
3. He has a methodical plan to ruin your life
a. To systematically ruin you
b. Like the terrorists and America
4. Welcome to “The conflict of the ages”
a. Led by the most brilliant of God’s creation
b. Assisted by millions of fallen angels
5. Was raging long before you were born
a. W.A. Crisswell (p. 284)
There is conflict and war at the very heart of the universe. We cannot escape it, we cannot flee from it. If we go to the moon we will find that conflict among us there. If we finally get to Mars we will find that same conflict among us there. If we explore the heavens and build space stations in the sky they will be used for war and for purposes of destruction. The history of the world is written in blood, every page of it. “In the days of peace, prepare for war.” There is conflict at the very heart of this universe. All history is surely written in blood.
b. Warfare is part of the Christian walk
B. Some of the Devil’s favorite schemes
#1 Disbelief in the existence of a devil & demons
a. C.S.Lewis
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
b. Unpopular to speak on the devil
c. Parents warn children of danger
1. Crossing a street
d. Churches must warn about Satan
#2 Doubt God’s love and concern for us
a. He wants believers to doubt God loves you
b. He wants you to doubt your salvation
c. He wants you to doubt your potential
#3 Discouragement
a. His most frequent tool….the “Big D”
b. Things that trigger discouragement
1. An unkind word
2. When a friend lets you down
3. Sickness
a. Can really derail a believer
b. Tough to be effective when you don’t feel good
c. Can drift into depression
4. Failures
5. Financial woes
6. Children & family
7. A dead-end job
8. Marriages
c. A discouraged believer is an ineffective believer
d. Probably Satan’s most common mode of attack
#4 Destructive weakness….Gold, Glory, and Girls
a. (I John 2:16) “For everything in the world…the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what has and does…comes not from the Father but from the world” (NKJV) “the lust of the eyes (gold), lust of the flesh (girls), and the pride of life (glory)”
b. Our areas of greatest vulnerability
c. He sets traps
d. You won’t survive apart from Christ
e. He will use good people to take down other good people
f. Never underestimate the destructive power of pride
1. Why God chooses not to use some talented people
2. They will steal the glory
#5 Divide the body over petty issues
a. When Satan can get the troops to shoot at each other
1. he stands back and laughs
b. Dying from friendly fire
1. shot in the back by their own guys
c. Other believers are not the enemy
1. it’s okay to disagree on secondary issues
d. The single greatest indicator of salvation
1. “They will know we are Christians by our love for one another”
e. The power of unity...team
#6 Distort the truth
a. The current attack on “certainty”
b. The key to something called “post-modernism”
c. Has emerged in many churches
1. Fear being labeled “dogmatic”
*judgmental
2. “we all believe in the same God.”
3. “The Bible is subordinate to personal opinion”
#7 Distract your priorities
a. Too many “good things”
b. Satan uses attractive things to distract
c. When we get too busy for God
1. Mary and Martha
2. “But Martha was distracted by much serving”
#8 Drifting into conformity
a. Hard to tell the sides apart any more
b. Rom. 12:2.... “do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
c. Inform…conform…transform
IV. Summary
A. Life is a continual battle
1. 9-11 wasn’t the first time America was attacked
a. July 4th we remember the price that has been paid for our freedom
b. Generations have been asked to step up to defend this great country
2. We are also asked to “contend for our faith”
a. Nobody likes to fight
b. But God warns us that we are in the middle of a great conflict
c. Spurgeon
Like the Spartans, every Christian is born a warrior. It is his destiny to be assaulted; it is his duty to attack. Part of his life will be occupied with defensive warfare. He will have to defend earnestly the faith once delivered to the saints, he will have to resist the Devil, he will have to stand against all his wiles; and having done all, still to stand. He will, however, be but a sorry Christian if he acts only on the defensive. He must be one who goes against his foes, as well as stands still to receive their advance. He must be able to say with David, ‘I come against thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied.’ He must wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. He must have weapons for his warfare…not carnal-but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. He must go forth to attack the castles of the enemy, and to put them down, to drive the Canaanite out of the land.”
3. And we can’t succeed apart from God
a. Randall
Although the Devil can never separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, he can so wound us in battle as to render the believer powerless in his life and witness for Christ.”
It is impossible to outwit the Devil. It is impossible to out strategize him. All of education will never keep us from falling in the invisible war. It is impossible for man to even understand the depth of the wicked schemes of the evil one.
b. Martin Luther
“His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal
4. You need not fear the Devil and his legions
a. You have access to a power infinitely greater than Satan’s
· James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
· I John 4:4 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”